The Lunar Knights
by Cyclone
Summary: What are these strange dreams Ranma has been having lately, and why is he acting so different? Who are the Lunar Knights, and why are demons fighting cyborgs in the streets? Effectively dead.
1. Episode One--Forgotten Memories

The Sailor Senshi were having a difficult time. This new enemy was some kind of cybernetic clone, according to Mercury's analysis; according to that same analysis, it was also quite powerful.  
  
The analysis seemed to be proving correct. It had already sent them all sprawling in the first two minutes, and even Tuxedo Kamen and the Outer Senshi couldn't seem to help much.  
  
The cyborg raised its massive rifle again and fired at the Outer Senshi. Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune managed to escape the blast, but Sailor Saturn wasn't so lucky.  
  
"SATURN!"  
  
She had been clipped in shoulder as she tried to dodge. "Ahh!"  
  
She stumbled. They all faced the cyborg. Saturn would have to wait for now.  
  
"TORNADO SLASH!"  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Based on stuff that's not mine...  
  
Written by Cyclone...  
  
Whirlwind Productions presents...  
  
THE LUNAR KNIGHTS  
  
Episode One--Forgotten Memories  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
"TORNADO SLASH!"  
  
Their eyes shot upward to see a young man dressed in white, red-trimmed armor with blue pants, red boots, and a red gem embedded in his forehead (if it helps, it matches Sailor Moon's color scheme). He held a sword with which he had just slashed the clone. His slash was enhanced by a tight funnel of wind, and the clone fell back, a deep gash in its chest.  
  
"Yo! Big ugly! I'm here to kick your ass back to hell where it belongs!"  
  
They blinked. It sounded nothing like any of their speeches. He leaped to the sky. While in midair, he brought his sword up and began to spin it.  
  
As he yelled, "CYCLONE BARRAGE!" a hail of miniature tornados flew from his spinning sword. They split up, each hitting the cyborg from a different angle, from the front, from the sides, and even from behind.  
  
The cyborg roared, sparks flying and systems shrieking, as it was torn apart by the biting blasts of air. Their rescuer stepped back, turned, and leaped away into the night.  
  
Sailor Moon was the first to find her voice, "Who... who was that, Luna?"  
  
The moon cat simply shook her head, "I don't know, Sailor Moon. I don't know."  
  
Sailor Mercury kept looking in the direction the young man had gone, a distracted look on her face as she thought, *There's something about him...* She shook her head and turned to Sailor Moon. "I'm sorry. What was that?"  
  
A concerned look crossed Sailor Moon's face. She then asked, "Are you okay, Mercury?"  
  
"Yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Well, you seemed a little out of it a moment ago. Anyways, try an' find out who that was, 'kay?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
  
  
That night...  
  
Ami Mizuno slept fitfully. Confusing dreams invaded her thoughts as she tossed and turned. She could only catch faint snatches of various images: herself, the Moon Kingdom, and the man who had saved them earlier.  
  
Another image flashed by just before she jerked awake. It was of a group consisting of the man that saved them and three other young men, each dressed in similar garb.  
  
She glanced at her alarm clock. It read 2:46 AM. She groaned and rolled over, trying once more to sleep; she couldn't afford to have lack of sleep mess up her calculus test tomor-... this afternoon. She also had to check up on Hotaru. The wound wasn't fatal, but with her still-fragile health they weren't taking any chances.  
  
This time, she slept a dreamless sleep.  
  
  
  
Elsewhere...  
  
Ryouga Hibiki suddenly sat up. The dreams were back, more vivid than ever. Before, he simply ignored them. This time, however, it seemed too real for him to dismiss it so easily. Despite the vividness of the dreams, he was no closer to figuring them out. Something about moons, planets, and sailors...  
  
He shook his head to clear it. He had to kill Ranma and win Akane first. _Then_ he could start worrying about weird dreams.  
  
  
  
Later...  
  
"Cousin? What cousin?"  
  
Nabiki lazily glanced at her younger sister, "Akane, you don't remember Rei? The cousin you _always_ got in a fight with _every_ time we visited?"  
  
Akane held her chin, trying hard to remember. After a few long moments, she snapped her fingers. Nabiki grinned, "Remember now?"  
  
She nodded and frowned, "Why are we going to visit _now_ of all times? I mean, with the situation here, wouldn't it be better to wait until this mess with Ranma has all cleared up?"  
  
"That's just it, Akane. Ranma's life is _never_ going to get any easier. Kasumi thinks what we need is a break from the weirdness around here. Frankly, I couldn't agree more."  
  
"Hmm, you do have a point..." Akane looked up. "We're not dragging Ranma with us, are we?"  
  
Nabiki shrugged, "I don't think so." She turned and left.  
  
  
  
Two days later...  
  
"Rannnmaaa..." Akane growled warningly after he left her behind on the way to school. She glared at him, but much of her anger faded as she saw how distracted he looked.  
  
Meanwhile, Ranma was thinking about his recent arguments with Akane. Lately, he hadn't been putting his heart into it. It seemed so... pointless to him now. He thought back to why he fought with her so hard. At first, the reason was simple really, he didn't want the stupid engagement, so he had chosen to take out his anger on the most convenient target: Akane, who embodied the unwanted engagement.  
  
It had soon changed, though. His initial anger at his father and Mr. Tendo had faded within a few weeks, yet he still continued to aggravate her whenever an opportunity presented itself. But now, something was missing. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but for some reason, he felt like he didn't really _care_ anymore.  
  
"Ranma! Prepare to DIE!"  
  
He jerked his head up, "What? Huh?"  
  
Something large and heavy crashed into him, sending him flying off the fence and onto the riverbank. Ryouga landed next to him and swung his umbrella, barely missing Ranma and crashing it into the side of the reinforced concrete bridge.  
  
Ranma cursed himself under his breath for leaving himself so wide open. He leaped over the river and landed in a peculiar defensive stance. "I don't have time for this, Ryouga. I have no desire to be late for school."  
  
"Shut up, Ranma!" Ryouga noticed something odd in both Ranma's manner of speech and his stance. They were both different from usual, but they were also oddly familiar somehow...  
  
He shook his head. This was no time to get distracted. He flicked his umbrella open and sent it spinning like a top across the water. To Ryouga's surprise, Ranma held his ground and lashed out with his foot, knocking the clumsy weapon out of it's gracefully unorthodox flight path.  
  
Ranma suddenly dashed across the water and lashed out with his foot again, barely catching Ryouga across the chest, but with enough force to knock him off his feet and send him flying.  
  
Ryouga grunted as he landed. He was winded, but far from hurt. He got up and glared at Ranma, who had regained the unrecognizable-but-still-somehow-familiar stance. "SHISHI HOUKOU DAN!"  
  
Ranma's right hand began to glow with ki. He intercepted the depression blast and disrupted it, the heavy ki dispersing. Ryouga's jaw dropped as he stared. He muttered to himself, "How... how... how'd he do that?"  
  
"Ranma!"  
  
Both martial artists looked up to the bridge. Akane was leaning on the fence, "C'mon, Ranma! We need to get to school soon, or we'll be late!"  
  
"I understand, Akane," he turned to Ryouga. "If we could possibly finish this later?"  
  
"Ahh... yeah... sure." Ryouga was still confused about the oddities of the fight. Before he could blink, Ranma and Akane had already run off on their way to school.  
  
Akane glanced at Ranma as they ran the last stretch. She didn't want to mention it, but this seemed to be the first time he had fought by the river without getting wet.  
  
"Halt, Saotome! I, Tatewaki Kunou, White Lightning of Furinkan High, shall defeat you this da-ummmmphfff!" Both Ranma and Akane trampled the kendoist underfoot without even breaking stride.  
  
Little did any of them know, trouble was nearing.  
  
  
  
At lunch...  
  
Akane noticed Ranma looked a little distant as they ate. He didn't even complain about the lunch she had cooked. *Not that there's anything wrong with my cooking!* she added fiercely.  
  
CRASH!  
  
The cafeteria wall caved in to reveal a large, four-armed creature with black, reptilian skin and red eyes. Most were somewhat surprised, as they were expecting either (a) Shampoo or (b) Ryouga.  
  
Ranma bolted to his feet and yelled, "Everyone! Get down!" He was halfway to the creature when he launched his first attack, "MOUKO TAKABISHA!"  
  
The monster let out an ear-splitting roar as it was struck by the blast. The dust cleared and the monster took a few steps toward Ranma and extended both of its left arms and said, in a deep, resonating voice, "You will pay, human," as it launched a pair of energy blasts at the young martial artist.  
  
Ranma dodged and glanced around. *Too many people here. They could get hurt. Better take this outside.* "Yo! Big ugly! This way!" He slid a window open and hopped out into the courtyard.  
  
The monster growled and blasted through another wall to follow Ranma. Ranma ducked under another blast and closed the distance between them. "KACHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!" He unleashed a devastating flurry of blows into the creature's approximation of a gut. It laughed and simply batted him away.  
  
Ranma shook his head and got to his feet. *Okay. No close-in fighting.* He taunted the demon some more, "C'mon! Izzat the best you can do?"  
  
"RRAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!"  
  
Ranma backed away. *Okay, maybe I _did_ go a bit too far that time...*  
  
He then proceeded to lead the monster on a merry chase to the park, away from bystanders. Suddenly, the monster seemed distracted. He leaped to a safe distance and glanced where the monster was looking.  
  
What appeared to be an inhumanly large and muscular man with a lot of cybernetics was fighting a bunch of girls in abbreviated sailor outfits. The cyborg turned and faced the demonic creature and his eyes suddenly burned with hatred as he yelled out something indecipherable: "Rak tyu cahn rykk sohn, Branaugh!"  
  
He raised some kind of rifle and fired at the demon. When the smoke cleared, Ranma heard the demon's rumbling voice from the crater.  
  
It said, "Mann vist hirl rhok tahrin, Lathian!" and charged up a huge amount of energy between all four of its arms and released it, sending the massive energy blast into the cyborg.  
  
"What is going on?"  
  
He spun to see the sailor-suited girls behind him. *Damn! I must be slipping.*  
  
"I wish I knew," he replied. He paused and took a closer look at each of them. "You're the Sailor Senshi, right?" They nodded. "Then what are you doin' in Nerima?"  
  
They blinked, and the blue-haired one answered, "We were fighting that cyborg for quite a while. The fight took us out of Juuban and brought us here. What were you doing here with that... creature?"  
  
"I was fightin' it; it attacked my school. I couldn't seem ta hurt it, so I led it here to keep everyone safe while I figured somethin' out."  
  
They seemed about to say something when they heard a roar. They all turned and saw the cyborg blasting away at the demon. The demon growled, "Thar tuk kin ya, Lathian."  
  
The cyborg replied again in the strange language and spat on the demon. His eyes widened as the demon glowed bright green. The cyborg stepped back, but the demon suddenly erupted in a massive pillar of green light, vaporizing the cyborg in the process.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...!!!!!"  
  
Ranma gaped at the massive destruction before him. It was beyond anything he had ever imagined. Even Ryouga's Full Shishi Houkou Dan paled in comparison to this incredible display of power.  
  
"Whoa..." he turned around again and found himself looking at thin air. The Sailor Senshi were gone.  
  
"Huh," he muttered. "I wonder what all that was about." He looked up again as a breeze passed, and he frowned, "Something's going to happen. Something bad. I can _feel_ it."  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Ryouga Voiceover:  
  
What's this?! A fight? Why isn't Ranma helping those girls fight that demon?? I'll bet he ran like the coward he is. I guess I'll have to take matters into my own hands.  
  
Well, wish me luck in the next episode of The Lunar Knights, "Escalation."  
  
***********************************************************************  
Author's Postscript:  
  
There. Finally finished part one. Now, if I can just figure out how to balance school with all these _other_ 'fics I'm working on...  
  
This is Cyclone, signing off. 


	2. Episode Two--Escalation

There was battlefield.   
  
A great war was fought here, but now it was silent, only inhabited by the dead. Occasionally, a skeleton lay clutching a weapon, though sometimes not. Those that held the rusted weapons were invariably large and humanoid, though the bones were often replaced by equally-rusted cybernetics.  
  
Others included large humanoids, with one difference: the skeletons bore evidence of an extra set of arms.  
  
Sailor Pluto walked across the battlefield, shaking her head. She considered the monstrous battle that must have been fought here, *And now, they're bringing their war to Earth. There must be some way I can stop this... without disrupting the flow of time!*  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Based on stuff that's not mine...  
  
Written by Cyclone...  
  
Whirlwind Productions presents...  
  
THE LUNAR KNIGHTS  
  
Episode Two--Escalation  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
General Vargas glanced at his subordinate and spoke in their guttural native tongue, "Report."  
  
"Initial reconnaissance suggests an overall weak and disorganized military presence, with numerous world powers and a great deal of infighting. However, this planet, like several we have encountered before, seems to possess a 'superhero' element which may prove itself a nuisance."  
  
"Would a larger resource allocation be ideal to handle them?"  
  
"No, sir. There is little cause for alarm from that area, as the 'superheroes' are few in number and apparently isolated into local regions. With one of our better-trained precision strike forces, they can be easily dealt with."  
  
"Recommendation?"  
  
"I request that Omega team be activated, sir." At this, General Vargas frowned. The colonel continued, "Their expertise in this field-..."  
  
"...is entirely unnecessary. Activate Bravo and Delta teams instead. They will be more than enough. Have them coordinate a simultaneous strike. We don't want to give them any opportunity to prepare."  
  
(Author's Note: It should be mentioned at this point that the teams aren't actually called "Bravo," "Delta," or "Omega." These are simply the closest English, or actually Greek, analogies.)  
  
Colonel Karya could not complain. She had just been assigned two of the best-trained covert operations teams in the entire Lathian military. Admittedly not as good as Omega, but Omega was reserved for the gravest of mission, anyway. Still, she had more, worse, news for her commanding officer.  
  
"There is more, sir. The Branaugh also seem to have taken an interest in this planet. One of our scouts reported encountering one just before we lost the transmission."  
  
His eyes narrowed, "Did they retrieve any of our technology?"  
  
She shook her head firmly, "No, sir. The Branaugh in question terminated the scout via a technique that consistently results in the elimination of not only the target, but also much of the surrounding area and the Branaugh itself."  
  
"Good," he paused and deliberated for a moment. "I'm authorizing you to activate two level three combat drones of your choice. They should be sufficient enough to eliminate any foothold those demons have acquired on this planet. Dismissed."  
  
She saluted (in the Lathian manner, which is to say, she bowed her head slightly, touched her forehead with the index finger of her fist, and jerked it out toward him), "Yes, sir!"  
  
  
  
Elsewhere...  
  
"Lord Graegor, I have disturbing news," the Branaugh was on one knee, head bowed in respect. The Branaugh tongue, identical to the Lathian language, sounded even harsher, due to the gravelly voice of the speaker, which somehow conveyed in its tone the reverence he held for his lord.  
  
Graegor nodded, "Rise, my son. What news?"  
  
"We have met unexpected resistance, and the Lathians are here."  
  
The Father Of All Branaugh suddenly rose to his feet and demanded, "Do they know of our plans?"  
  
"There is no indication that they do, Lord-Father. Contact with them has been brief, but what we _do_ know suggests that they were as surprised by our presence as we were by theirs. Also, I am saddened to inform you of the death of Brother Targath."  
  
Graegor slowly sat back down, "I see. Continue with the plan, but be wary of the humanoid scum. Avoid the local resistance if possible. We do _not_ need another enemy."  
  
"Yes, m'lord."  
  
"I trust this matter to you, Calador."  
  
The young Branaugh knelt again, "I am honored by your confidence in me, Lord-Father."  
  
  
  
Much later...  
  
Klataban crept through the Juuban District. His large frame went unnoticed by the majority of the populous. A few seemed somewhat uneasy when they went near him, but they all shrugged off the feeling as just nerves.  
  
Well, almost all.  
  
Even so, Sailor Pluto was reluctant to interfere. Everything had to fall into place _just_ right, or it may prove disastrous.  
  
The Branaugh approached the park. *Unless my sense is off, the nexus point should be riiiiight... there!*  
  
Klataban confidently strode out to the nexus point. All he had to do was-...  
  
ZZAP!  
  
He heard laughter. He snarled and pulled himself to his feet, ignoring the large burn on his back. The Walls of Distraction spell was now wearing off thanks to the blast, and the locals had fled, screaming for help. He quickly spotted and identified his assailant...  
  
"Lathian," he muttered under his breath.  
  
The Lathian replied, "Of course. Captain Vekan, at your service... your _funeral_ service, that is."  
  
Capt. Vekan leveled his rifle at Klataban. The gun was a beefed-up, enhanced version of the standard Lathian battle rifle.  
  
Klataban wasted no words. He let out an inhuman battle cry and leaped at the Lathian. Vekan, expecting the berserker charge, was nevertheless stunned by the ferocity of the attack. He was thrown back, flung against and through a large oak tree.  
  
The Lathian shook his head clear and looked up, only to see the massive Branaugh standing over him, slamming him with four energy blasts and driving him into the ground.  
  
Vekan snarled. He could not, _would_ not, let himself be defeated by this... this _primitive_! His sturdy rifle, damaged beyond any capability of firing, still made a more than adequate club.  
  
WHACK!  
  
Stumbling back, Klataban cursed himself for forgetting about the impossible strength that cybernetics lent the average Lathian. Vekan took this opportunity to bumrush the Branaugh, slamming him beyond the park limits, across the street, and into the side of a concrete building.  
  
Klataban did not move.  
  
Vekan drew his sidearm, resting the barrel flush against Klataban's forehead, and muttered, "To think that primitives like _you_ have been causing so much trouble. I can't believe High Command is raising such a ruckus about something so... hideous and barbaric as you."  
  
He chuckled. "This is almost too easy."  
  
Then he heard a voice, speaking in the language of the local people, "Hey, you! Damaging public property and endangering innocents is..." The voice trailed off and dropped to a whisper, "Guys, umm, a little help here?"  
  
Another voice sighed and broke in, continuing where the first had left off, "...a crime against the people. These people have done nothing against you, and to threaten them is an immoral injustice!"  
  
The first voice returned, "I am Sailor Moon! I will right wrongs and triumph over evil, and that means you! In the name of the Moon..."  
  
"...and Mars!"  
  
"...and Mercury!" This was the voice that had finished the initial speech.  
  
"...and Jupiter!"  
  
"...and Venus!"  
  
All five of the sailor-suited females cried out simultaneously, "...we'll PUNISH you!"  
  
Vekan looked at them casually... and laughed. *_This_,* he wondered, *is the local team of heroes?! I can't believe they actually took the time to make such a _ridiculous_ speech and not even get the whole speech done properly!*  
  
He smirked and raised his sidearm, pointing it at the Sailor Senshi.  
  
(Author's Note: Hi, again. To get the proper image of Vekan's "sidearm," one must take into account the immense strength afforded him, and most Lathians, by his cybernetics. Then one must consider that the "standard Lathian battle rifle" mentioned earlier has approximately the same caliber as a small mortar. Putting these two facts together, it then becomes clear how the hand cannon Capt. Vekan held would be considered a "sidearm" by a Lathian, even with its shotgun-sized barrel.)  
  
The Senshi eeped and dove out of the way. The blast impacted a tree and shattered it with ease. Vekan laughed. While the mission he had been assigned to was actually reconnaissance, that didn't mean he couldn't get a little more fun out of it, especially since High Command wanted these "superheroes" disposed of anyway.  
  
Still, it was time to get down to business...  
  
  
  
On the flip side of things...  
  
The Inner Senshi were not having a good time. This new cyborg was proving to be more of a challenge than the other two cyborgs they had fought. It seemed much smarter and faster than the other two. The only good news was that it seemed to have lost its main weapon in the battle with... whatever it had been fighting.  
  
Suddenly, they heard a pair of voices that lifted their spirits considerably.  
  
"WORLD SHAKING!"  
  
"DEEP SUBMERGE!"  
  
The double-team attack from the Outer Senshi slammed into the cyborg, sending it flying back into the smashed building.  
  
  
  
Back to Vekan...  
  
He snarled. Those two, the short-haired blonde and the green-haired girl, had blindsided him. He cursed himself as he picked himself up off of the apparently comatose Branaugh. He should have realized that they would hold a small force in reserve for any weakness they might spot. He had grown careless. It didn't matter that "superheroes" rarely used common-sense military tactics; he should have anticipated it, anyway.  
  
*Time for a strategic retreat.*  
  
He flicked a switch on the barrel of his sidearm and fired a rapid-fire stream of explosive energy bolts from his gun as he ran off, activating his cloaking device.  
  
  
  
Again to the Sailor Senshi...  
  
After the smoke cleared out, it was obvious that the cyborg was gone. However, they all spotted a large demon emerging from the remnants of a concrete building near where they last saw the cyborg.  
  
For once, Sailor Moon managed to put one and one together. Too bad she still came up with one.  
  
"It must've transformed into that demon!"  
  
"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"  
  
  
  
Back to the "demon" in question...  
  
Klataban rose, surprised that he was still alive. Usually, Lathians didn't hold much regard for mercy. *So, why-...?*  
  
His thought was interrupted by a sudden blast of cold that struck his chest. He flew backwards, but managed to keep from falling. He snarled, *So, that's it. He leaves me alive to let his cronies take me out instead. He _insults_ me with such behaviour!*  
  
The Branaugh gathered up a massive ball of energy between his four hands and sent it towards the seven ridiculously-dressed human females. As expected, they dove out of the way, and Klataban pelted the area with smaller and less powerful (but still quite deadly) blasts.  
  
Suddenly, a rose flew through the air and unerringly pricked his forehead. He growled with irritation and brushed the annoying flower away before smashing the well-dressed idiot who had had the gall to attack him in such a ridiculous manner.  
  
  
  
To the Senshi again...  
  
Tuxedo Kamen flew through the air and landed painfully against a building, creating a small crater. He groaned and tried to pick himself up, only to slump back into the crater, unconscious.  
  
"TORNADO SLASH!"  
  
The demon stumbled back a few steps. Their mysterious saviour had returned. He shook his head, "Damn. This thing's even uglier than that cyborg."  
  
He charged, slashing his sword in a complex pattern of swings that changed from moment to moment...  
  
  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
Ryouga felt like yelling again. It was a great way to relieve stress and tended to be less costly than breaking things, unless he had the good fortune to get lost before the owner found out.  
  
He snarled, about ready to unleash another Shishi Houkou Dan when he heard sounds of fighting. *Fighting? That has to be Ranma!*  
  
He crept around, trying to find the battlefield. It didn't take long, since even a Hibiki can follow his ears. He leaped to a rooftop and saw some kind of demon fighting the Sailor Senshi. His eyes narrowed, and he prepared to go help the Senshi...  
  
  
  
In the park...  
  
"SHISHI HOUKOU DAN!"  
  
A green blast of energy slammed into Klataban. He grunted in surprise, but was otherwise unaffected. He spared a glance at the fool who had tried such a pathetic attack, but instantly focused on the opponent in front of him.  
  
The sword had struck him several times, but the cuts, while painful and a direct confirmation of the sword's power, were only superficial. He growled and stepped back, directing a volley of energy blasts at his sword-wielding foe.  
  
His eyes darted among his enemies. The females alone would not have been much of a problem, nor would the swordsman, though he was proving himself a fine and worthy opponent. Together, however, they added up to quite a challenge. Throwing in the distraction the boy provided, and it became a fight Klataban knew he could not win.  
  
He growled and stepped back. The nexus point would still be there when he returned. He faced the swordsman, brought his four fists together and bowed. Then he backed away and triggered the emergency teleport spell.  
  
  
  
Back to the Senshi, again...  
  
The swordsman bowed, "Good luck to you, Senshi. Farewell."  
  
"Wait!"  
  
He half-turned at Sailor Mercury's call, raising an eyebrow.  
  
His eyes widened a barely noticable distance. "Yes, Mercury?"  
  
"Who are you? Why are you helping us?"  
  
He smiled faintly, "I'm Sir Terra, and I'm doing what I must. After all, a man can't ignore his sworn loyalty to the crown, can he?"  
  
With that, he turned and left.  
  
Then they heard a voice behind them, "Umm, where is the Tendo Dojo?"  
  
  
  
Much later...  
  
"Aw, c'mon, pops! Do we gotta?"  
  
"Of course, m'boy! You need a vacation!"  
  
Ranma really couldn't argue with _that_ statement, but going with the Tendos to visit some of their family was _not_ what he had in mind. It felt like they were trying to make him a part of the family, which, of course, brought the engagement to mind.  
  
Still, there wasn't really any arguing with his father when he was in this mood. He sighed and began to pack. His father _did_ say they were going to be at the Hikawa Shrine for awhile...  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Rei Voiceover:  
  
My cousins make a surprise visit to the shrine while we're in the middle of a Senshi meeting! Why does Ami look so preoccupied? Hey, who's he? He's pretty cute.  
  
Mako-chan's old sempai?! I was beginning to think he didn't exist!  
  
All this and more, next time on The Lunar Knights, "Meetings"! See you there!  
  
***********************************************************************  
Author's Postscript:  
  
Well, well! Part two. Never thought I'd get this far with this story arc. As for Makoto's old sempai, I don't know too much about him and will assume he isn't discussed in too much detail in the series.  
  
This is Cyclone, signing off. 


	3. Episode Three--Meetings

There was a train. It was unremarkable except in its survivability, for it ran the route between two very dangerous districts in Tokyo: Nerima and Juuban.  
  
This time, the train carried several people, each of whom had contributed his or her fair share to the destruction that often occured in Nerima. Of all of them, however, the most notable was one Ranma Saotome.  
  
Currently, he was griping to himself.  
  
*Man, why do I gotta go to this stupid shrine, anyway?* he wondered as he glared out the window at the passing cityscape.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Based on stuff that's not mine...  
  
Written by Cyclone...  
  
Whirlwind Productions presents...  
  
THE LUNAR KNIGHTS  
  
Episode Three--Meetings  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Ranma sighed as he watched the city go by. At their fathers' insistence, Akane sat next to him, but he was hardly aware of her presence. He was currently pondering the dreams he had been having for the last couple of weeks.  
  
It always started out the same. He would be fighting something (he wasn't sure _what_ it was, but it was evil) with Ryouga, Mousse, and Shinnosuke fighting alongside him. Considering they each wanted to kill him for some reason or other (though by now, Shinnosuke probably forgot he wanted to kill him), that sort of alliance was _highly_ unlikely without the persuasion of Akane and Shampoo, who weren't in the dream.  
  
There _were_ girls in the dream, though. Several of them, dressed in what looked to him like abbreviated school uniforms of the sailor suit variety. This last bit disturbed him the most. *Maybe Akane's right. Maybe I _am_ some kinda pervert.*  
  
"RANMA!"  
  
He jerked away from the window, startled by Akane's shout. He turned. "Y-yeah, Akane?"  
  
She glowered at him. "You didn't hear a word I said, did you?"  
  
He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Umm, no. Sorry."  
  
She blinked. *Ranma? Apologizing?* She pressed the back of her hand against his forehead. "Are you okay, Ranma?"  
  
"Huh? 'Course I am! I don't _get_ sick. Whydja ask, anyway?"  
  
"Well, you just apologized. You _never_ apologized before."  
  
He sighed. "Akane, the reason I apologized was 'cause this time, it actually _was_ my fault, since I wasn't payin' attention."  
  
Akane leaned back and bit her lip. She really wanted to yell and hit him, but his words had the ring of truth in them. Her innate denial tried to kick in, *Who does he think he's kidding? It's ALWAYS his fault!  
  
*Isn't it?*  
  
Akane frowned as she turned away, instinctively steering away from that line of thought and instead wondering what had gotten into Ranma. He had been acting strangely lately. They hadn't had a serious argument for weeks, and it was unnerving her. They would argue, but he'd stop and shut up after insulting her only once or twice, long before she got mad enough to hit him.  
  
Now, he was apologizing. To her, it seemed unfair that Ranma wasn't playing by the rules ingrained into their lives.  
  
*Maybe he's been kidnapped and replaced by a clone or android or something like that?  
  
*No, we would've heard the explosions when they tried.  
  
*Maybe Shampoo fed him some kinda potion?  
  
*No, if anything she'd want to make him act as mean to me as humanly possible.*  
  
The inevitable thought finally hit her, *No way! He... he can't actually... be growing up, can he??*  
  
Startled by this revelation, the blue-haired girl slumped in her seat, wondering what to do about this latest problem. Ranma maturing meant he might soon pick which engagement to honor. If he thought too long about the situation, he might realize the most honorable way out of his predicament... marry Ukyou and have Mr. Tendo adopt her, thereby fulfilling the two most valid engagements.  
  
*No! H-he _can't_! I won't _let_ him!*  
  
A tiny little voice in the back of her head asked, *But how are you going to stop him? He hates you. How could he not, after all that you've done to him?*  
  
She rode out the rest of the train trip pondering that question.  
  
  
  
Elsewhere...  
  
The six girls gathered in the shrine. Rei and Usagi were fighting over another manga as Chibi-Usa encouraged Rei and Ami tried to calm them both down, the latter without much success.  
  
When Luna had _finally_ gotten them to shut up and listen, by the simple expedient of taking the manga in question and threatening to claw it pieces, she and Artemis were able to provide them with the new information.  
  
"The Sailor Senshi" Luna announced, "weren't the only protectors of the Moon Kingdom. Though fewer in number, the Lunar Knights were each more powerful individually than even the Outer Senshi."  
  
Artemis nodded, "They were hardly ever needed, so they were pretty much forgotten as a military force. There were four of them: Sir Terra, their leader and the Lord of Air; Sir Titan, second in command and the Lord of Earth; Sir Phobos, Lord of Fire; and Sir Charon, Lord of Water."  
  
"They had been on a covert military operation when the Dark Kingdom attacked," Luna said. "From what we remember, they were working to stop the Dark Kingdom's attack. Since they obviously failed, we'd thought they'd been killed. Apparently, we were wrong. For some reason, we only started remembering them recently, after Sir Terra showed up."  
  
The two moon cats had previously agreed not to mention certain... other details they had also remembered about them. There was no need to distract or put any additional anxiety on the Senshi at such a grave time.  
  
The door suddenly burst open, and Rei's grandfather rushed in, a frantic expression on his face. The six girls each sucked in a breath as he looked around at them.  
  
Then he turned to Rei and blurted out, "Rei! I can't believe this! Have you forgotten your cousins are coming today?!"  
  
Rei frowned, "What are you talking about, grandfather? Which cousins?"  
  
The old man froze and blinked. "You mean I didn't tell you?"  
  
Rei's eyes narrowed, "No, you didn't."  
  
"Oh. Ah. Aheheh. Well, I'm sorry about it. Must've slipped my mind. Still, your friends are going to have to leave."  
  
Rei's face contorted in anger, "What?! There is no way I'm kicking my friends out just because your own absentmindedness!"  
  
Grandfather Hino took an uncertain step back, a large sweatdrop forming on the back of his head. "Ah, sure. No problem." He was saved by a knock at the door. "That must be them."  
  
He rushed to the door and answered it.  
  
  
  
A moment later...  
  
"Soun Tendo! It's good to see you again, m'boy! Is this...? Why so it is! Genma, what are you doing here? I haven't seen you since Soun married my daughter. Y'know, I always thought you and Atsuko would get together and honor the agreement."  
  
"Ah, well... aheheh... you know... it couldn't... really work out... what with her temper and my mouth."  
  
Ranma cocked an eyebrow and gave a side glance to Akane, who nodded in understanding. That relationship problem seemed awfully familiar. Akane's memories of her mother were rather hazy, though, so she wasn't too sure about her mother's temperament.  
  
Ranma's thoughts, though, were more along the lines of, *Like mother, like daughter.*  
  
"You must be Ranma. So good to finally meet you. And, girls, how you've grown! Oh, where are my manners? Come in, come in."  
  
The five guests entered the shrine, removing their shoes at the door, and followed Hiroyuki Hino into a large room where six girls sat in a circle.  
  
Ranma gave a faint shudder as he considered the likely reactions of these girls... and Akane's likeliest reaction to their likely reactions.  
  
He glanced at each one in turn, assessing them. The pink-haired girl wasn't going to be a problem, and the blonde with the goofy hair style acted like she already had someone else. The other blonde and the brunette would be a problem, though, and the black-haired girl seemed thoughtful. Then his eyes landed on the blue-haired girl. He blinked and looked from her to Akane.  
  
The resemblance was astonishing.  
  
The black-haired girl rose and bowed, then rushed over and bowled over Mr. Tendo in a fierce hug, "Uncle Tendo!"  
  
Introductions were soon made, and everything began to settle down. However, Ranma couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that he'd met Ami somewhere before, and it was driving him nuts. Everything about her seemed familiar, from the way she spoke to the way she moved. He recognized her for many things beyond her appearance, which only superficially resembled Akane's.  
  
He made his observations very discretely, though. Some primal instinct made sure he would avoid the Wrath of Akane (tm).  
  
Her studiousness, her shyness, her intelligence, her smile. They all reminded him of... whom? While on his training trip, Ranma had met many people, but he was certain he had not met anyone so shy or smart during that time.  
  
*Who does she remind me of? Argh!*  
  
He did not have time to ponder the question further as the wall caved in.  
  
  
  
On the other side of the room...  
  
Despite his precautions, Akane had noticed Ranma eyeing Ami. She bit her lip. A part of her was angry and upset, but the larger part of her was depressed. What did she have that could compete with any of the girls?  
  
Ukyou had been his best and only friend for years, which had to count for something; Shampoo was sexier and a better martial artist; Kodachi had money (even if she lacked sanity); and this girl, Ami, was smarter, cuter, and probably a better cook than her.  
  
*It's not fair!*  
  
Then the Voice spoke up again, *Oh, and it was fair the way you've always blamed him for everything that went wrong, even when you knew it wasn't his fault?*  
  
*Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! It's all your fault! It was you! You were the one who always made it so... so _easy_ to blame him!*  
  
*There you go again, not willing to take responsibility for your own actions, shifting the blame to the most convenient target. All I am, all I offer, is the truth, and you know it.*  
  
She cringed, *Just shut up!*  
  
*As you wish.*  
  
And the Voice went silent, just as the wall exploded.  
  
  
  
In another corner of the room...  
  
Ami was puzzled. Her mind whirled with questions. She had the distinct impression that she had met Ranma, or someone like him, before and that he had been very important to her.  
  
*So why can't I remember? Do I know him from the Moon Kingdom? If that's the case, what happened to him? Who was he? How did he get reincarnated?*  
  
What irked her the most was the nagging feeling that the answer was right in front of her and that she simply wasn't seeing it.  
  
Her train of thought was interrupted as the wall collapsed.  
  
  
  
A few minutes earlier...  
  
Ryouga growled in frustration. He was lost again, and it was starting to irritate him. He had been lost since that time he had fought Ranma by the bridge over the river.  
  
He was certain it was Ranma's fault that he was lost. He wasn't sure how, but he was sure he could figure it out if he took the time to try.  
  
He wandered again, eventually running face first into a wooden wall. Irritated and frustrated enough already, he decided to relieve some stress and clear his path at the same time. With a loud cry, he knocked the wall down.  
  
  
  
Back in the shrine...  
  
The wall exploded, and a young man stood there with a frustrated look on his face. The Tendos and Saotomes recognized him instantly, but they were not the first to react.  
  
"RYO-CHAN!"  
  
Ryouga suddenly found himself wrapped by a pair of warm arms and held against an obviously female body. He blinked. A girl was hugging him? He focused his eyes on the face little more than two centimeters in front of him. He blinked again. "M-M-Mako-chan?"  
  
Minako eyed Ryouga speculatively and asked, "You know him, Mako-chan?"  
  
"Of _course_ I know him! He's my old sempai. He trained me in the Art." She turned and glared at him, "What happened to you, anyway? I went to the park, and you weren't there any more!"  
  
"Ah, well, I, uh, got lost."  
  
"Whoa! So the lost boy's got a girlfriend! That makes two, considering how Akari's fawning over you."  
  
Ryouga sputtered, "I-it's not like that! Ranma, I'll get you!"  
  
"Ranma, stop picking on Ryouga!"  
  
Akane swung her mighty mallet... and Ranma caught it.  
  
The Tendos, Mr. Saotome, and Ryouga all stared. Ranma had actually stopped the mallet. Before anyone could comment on it, however, an explosion erupted outside.  
  
KABOOM!  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Akane Voiceover:  
  
Oh, no! Did Happosai summon another demon? It's just like that thing that attacked the school! Huh? Where'd those girls go? No, I am _not_ going to run and hide, Ranma! I'm a martial artist, too!  
  
Hey, who's that cyborg? Well, whoever he is, he seems to be on our side, so that's some good news, I guess.  
  
And why won't this voice just shut up?!  
  
Join us next time on The Lunar Knights: "A New Ally?"  
  
***********************************************************************  
Author's Postscript:  
  
Part three done before I even post part one! Whaddaya know, I can write quite a bit when I want to, after all.  
  
This is Cyclone, signing off. 


	4. Episode Four--A New Ally?

Drakar had a problem. The nexus point he was currently attempting to reach had a structure built on it. The last time they had sought out a nexus point beneath a structure, Targath had met his end killing a Lathian scout.  
  
The structure was a fairly large design for such a rural location. It was not, however, designed to withstand much damage, nor was it built with materials strong enough to survive such an attack.  
  
*Well,* he thought, *there's nothing like the direct approach.*  
  
He blasted the flimsy front wall of the building.  
  
KABOOM!  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Based on stuff that's not mine...  
  
Written by Cyclone...  
  
Whirlwind Productions presents...  
  
THE LUNAR KNIGHTS  
  
Episode Four--A New Ally?  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
KABOOM!  
  
Ranma jerked to his feet while Ryouga dislodged Makoto. They both turned to the others there and said in stereo, "Take cover. We'll deal with this."  
  
The two premier martial artists ran out front without even waiting for a response. Akane growled.  
  
"I am _not_ a helpless little girl, y'know! I'm a martial artist too!" With that, the youngest Tendo ran after them, followed by the patriarchs of the Saotome and Tendo families.  
  
The six non-Tendo girls glanced at each other quizzically and vacated the area quickly. After all, they needed to transform.  
  
  
  
Outside...  
  
The five martial artists faced off against the black demon. It was similar in appearance to the one that Ranma had fought and almost lost to.  
  
"Careful, Ryouga. If this sucker's anything like the last one I fought, we're gonna have our hands full."  
  
"Right, Ranma." Ryouga didn't question Ranma's judgment in this matter. When it came to fighting monsters from Hell or the Great Beyond or wherever else they came from, the young Saotome was an expert.  
  
"MOUKO TAKABISHA!"  
  
"SHISHI HOUKOU DAN!"  
  
The demon ducked both ki blasts, though Ryouga's slightly larger depression blast grazed the demon's left shoulder, to little effect.  
  
Akane charged. In retrospect, it was probably the biggest mistake any of them made during this battle, but the Voice egged her on. Soun ran forward to help her.  
  
*If ki blasts don't hurt it...* Genma slipped to the side and launched one of his Forbidden Techniques, "KIJIN RAISHU DAN!"  
  
The twin vacuum blades diced a pair of innocent trees, having missed their target.  
  
  
  
On the other side of the battlefield...  
  
Drakar cursed under his breath. The energy blasts were pathetic, considering his race's nature, but the vacuum blades had caught him by surprise. He growled and snatched the female attacking him. He held her by the throat and began to squeeze...  
  
  
  
Not far away...  
  
The Sailor Senshi transformed and headed for the front of the shrine. The demon was holding Akane up by her throat and appeared to be intent on strangling her while Mr. Tendo lay unconscious at its feet.  
  
Sailor Venus was the first to react, "VENUS LOVE CHAIN ENCIRCLE!"  
  
The chain surrounded and wrapped the demon up in a tangle of magical metal. The demon reflexively released Akane. A moment later, it flexed its muscles and the chain shattered. It slowly turned its head to face them.  
  
Akane scrambled to get away from the demon. It was a lot stronger than it looked, and she had finally realized that this... creature... was far out of her league.  
  
Maybe even out of Ranma's league.  
  
  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
"Colonel Karya! There appears to be another conflict. The superhero group in the city called Tokyo is battling a Branaugh."  
  
*Hmm...* she thought, *we may be able to use this to our advantage.*  
  
She spoke, "Send someone to assist in the termination of the Branaugh."  
  
"Do you have anyone in mind, ma'am?"  
  
"Yes. As a matter of fact, I do. Send Special Operative Five Twenty-Six."  
  
"Yes, ma'am!"  
  
  
  
Back at the Hikawa Shrine...  
  
Genma and the Tendo martial artists were already unconscious, and a stray blast from Sailor Mercury had triggered Ranma's curse.  
  
Sailor Mars gawked at the redhead. "A youma!" She was preparing a Flame Sniper while everyone else fended off the demon, when...  
  
"LOOK OUT!"  
  
The redhead tackled the red Senshi, knocking her out of the way of a quartet of purple energy blasts from the demon.  
  
"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"  
  
"SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!"  
  
The freezing blast Sailor Mercury had just launched had no more of an effect on the demon than it had on the last demon they had fought, but the electrical blast, enhanced by the previous icy water blast, was another story.  
  
The demon stumbled, apparently dazed by the double attack.  
  
Ranma took the opportunity and slid under the demon's wild blasts of energy, "HAKU DATO SHIN SHOU!"  
  
The impact rippled through the demon's body. The two Saotome Forbidden Techniques, the Umisenken and the Yamasenken, were proving to be the most effective weapon available to any of the martial artists.  
  
Then a rose embedded itself in the demon's shoulder. Tuxedo Kamen had arrived.  
  
The demon roared and brushed the offending flora away before sending a flurry of energy blasts at the formal-dressed Prince of Earth, who, caught in the middle of a surely inspiring but unfortunately ignored speech, barely managed to avoid getting fried.  
  
Ranma launched another Amaguriken at the demon, which swiped at her in a futile retaliation. She danced out of the way and lured it into attacking again. This process repeated several times until she thrust her fist up in the air, "HIRYUU SHOTEN HA!"  
  
The demon roared and was tossed into the sky. It slammed back into the ground, shattering the concrete pavement, and pulled itself to its feet. It growled and launched itself at Ranma, knocking her down.  
  
*Oh, man. I'm mincemeat...*  
  
Unnoticed by her and Ryouga, the symbol of Earth flared on her forehead. The Senshi, on the other hand, all noticed this with great interest.  
  
Suddenly, an energy blast flew over Ranma and slammed into the demon's chest. The symbol on Ranma's forehead faded, and a voice behind them yelled out, "Rakka tan, Branaugh!"  
  
A large humanoid shape bolted past them and over Ranma, shoulder smashing the demon. The newcomer was huge, around 2.2 meters tall, and had the build of a pro-wrestler. His left arm and the left side of his face and torso gleamed a metallic grey color.  
  
The cyborg and demon fought fervently, speaking occasionally in the strange, unfamiliar language the Senshi and Ranma had heard before at the park (see part one).  
  
The demon thrust one hand into the cyborg's chest, through multiple layers of armor, and blasted him away. The cyborg rose unsteadily, his chest sparking with electricity.  
  
"MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!"  
  
The demon growled and vanished before the giant pink heart hit it. Who wouldn't run from such a silly death?  
  
As wires in his chest began to close the wound, the cyborg fiddled with a strange-looking device embedded in the side of his throat and asked, "Did... you just launch a giant pink heart at that Branaugh?"  
  
Sailor Moon was quite wary, considering that this was the fourth time she and the other Senshi had encountered a cyborg, and that the other three had all been quite hostile. She replied, "Uh, yeah."  
  
He shook his head, "Fascinating."  
  
Sailor Mars stepped toward him somewhat threateningly and began to interrogate him, "All right, mister. Who are you? What was that thing?"  
  
He met her hostile gaze and replied, "I am Syphon Danaali, Operative Five-Two-Six, Lathian Special Forces. That was a Branaugh, our sworn enemy. I do not know why they are here, but whatever the reason, it can not be good for either of our races. Until next time, heroes."  
  
He turned and leaped away. Ryouga frowned and turned to the Sailor Senshi, "Hey, how'd you know that demon was here, anyway?"  
  
Before the Senshi could say anything, Ranma answered the Lost Boy quietly, "They knew the demon was here because..." she glanced at them, "they were in the shrine when it attacked."  
  
The Senshi paled, but Ryouga had apparently not heard her. She glanced up at them meaningfully and turned to face Ryouga...  
  
...but by then, Ryouga had decided to go find the noncombatants and promptly got himself lost. Ranma sighed in frustration and turned around again...  
  
...only to find that the Senshi were gone, too. Her eye twitched in irritation a moment before she went over to check on the three fallen martial artists.  
  
With a quick application of water to the face, two martial artists and a panda were soon wide awake. Akane frowned, "Ranma, where's Ryouga?"  
  
"I think he got lost again."  
  
"Stop making fun of him!"  
  
"What do you expect me to do? Lie?"  
  
Akane bit her lip. *Well, what are you going to do now? He's right, y'know. Or rather, _she's_ right, considering her current gender. Ryouga's sense of direction is like your skill in the kitchen... nonexistant."  
  
She pointedly ignored the Voice but still remained silent.  
  
"Hey, what happened out here?" Hiroyuki Hino's voice echoed out from a door of the shrine.  
  
"Growf!" A sign came up that read, "It's not my fault!"  
  
"What the...? A panda?!"  
  
Soun quickly explained Jusenkyou, desperate to keep his father-in-law from jumping to conclusions.  
  
"I see. Well, it's not like we aren't used to strange things happening around here."  
  
The others didn't take it quite so well.  
  
Yuuchiro wondered what kind of freak Ranma was.  
  
Rei wondered how Ranma had figured out their identities.  
  
Ami wondered if a Sailor Terra or Sailor Earth had drowned at Jusenkyou. For that matter, she wondered why the male Ranma was so familiar.  
  
Minako wondered if Ranma had a brother.  
  
Makoto wondered where her "Ryo-chan" went.  
  
Chibi-Usa wondered about the best to annoy Usagi.  
  
Usagi wondered what would be for lunch.  
  
Akane wondered how anyone could possibly take the curses as well as they seemed to.  
  
Nabiki wondered if there was any way she could profit from this.  
  
Kasumi blissfully wondered if the shrine had any eggs.  
  
Ranma wondered why these sort of things always seemed to happen to him.  
  
He shifted uncomfortably under the combined gaze of Ami, Rei, and Minako. He knew who they were, but he wasn't sure _how_ he knew or what they would do about it. He was also quite aware of the glare Akane directed at him.  
  
*Why me?!*  
  
  
  
At an unknown location...  
  
  
Ryouga slashed through the shrubbery. *Funny, I don't remember a greenhouse in the shrine...*  
  
Unknown to him, someone, or rather some_thing_, was watching his every move from far, far away.  
  
*Soon, Lost One. Soon, our time will come...*  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Ami Voiceover:  
  
Ranma knows our secret! Will he expose us?  
  
How do I know him? What does the sigil mean? Is he, or she, a Senshi?  
  
Wait. Could it be? Is he...?  
  
(Pause.)  
  
Syphon offers the Senshi an alliance with the Lathians. Should we trust the cyborg, or is it a trap?  
  
Find out next time on The Lunar Knights: "Awakening."  
  
***********************************************************************  
Author's Postscript:  
  
Okay, so this one's a little bit shorter than the previous ones, but I felt this was the most appropriate point to end the episode.  
  
This is Cyclone, signing off. 


	5. Episode Five--Awakening

Drakar knelt before his Prince-Brother, Calador.  
  
"I beg your forgiveness. I have failed you."  
  
"You are forgiven, Brother. Immediate success can only come through a fluke. Tell me, what has caused your failure?"  
  
"Unexpected resistance, aided by a Lathian warrior."  
  
"I see. So the Lathians have allied themselves with the people here. Most unfortunate."  
  
"Sad, but true, m'lord."  
  
"Much as I dislike it, it would seem we shall have to deal with them first. Use the daemonites as you see fit."  
  
"Yes, Eldest Brother. I thank you for you generosity."  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Based on stuff that's not mine...  
  
Written by Cyclone...  
  
Whirlwind Productions presents...  
  
THE LUNAR KNIGHTS  
  
Episode Five--Awakening  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Ranma whistled as he wandered around the Juuban District. After the mess had cleared up at the shrine, it hadn't been as hard as he feared to escape the girls. He still wanted to know how he knew about the Senshi's identities, but he had a feeling that the answer to _that_ was something beyond his grasp at the moment.  
  
He was basking in the glory of the morning sun and glad to smell the smell of spring... even though spring smelled like sweat, allergies, and car exhaust.  
  
He wrinkled his nose. *I need to get out of the city. Even up at the shrine, I can smell the fumes.*  
  
It should be noted that Ranma was basking in the weather while sauntering nonchalantly along a fencetop and was also attracting a considerable crowd of onlookers.  
  
He considered his situation. He knew the Senshi's identities, but they hadn't done anything to keep him quiet yet. Even if they did, he'd just chalk them up under his "Want to Kill Me" list.  
  
But then there was Ami, aka Sailor Mercury. He wasn't sure why, but he knew she was very important... and not just because she was a Senshi. He felt drawn to her somehow, and he didn't know why.  
  
Drawing even more stares, he flipped off the fence and continued to explore the district.  
  
  
  
Later...  
  
His aimless wanderings eventually planted him in front of a house... and with no clue as to where he was. He glanced around, puzzled. *Where am I? Damnit, I can't believe I pulled a Ryouga.*  
  
He was about to pick a random direction to go when the front door of the house in front of him opened. He turned.  
  
"Ami-san?"  
  
"Ranma-kun! What are you doing here?"  
  
"I, uh, got lost." He scratched the back of his head, embarassed.  
  
She giggled. "I thought it was Hibiki-san that was supposed to get lost."  
  
His face reddened a bit. *Kami-sama, why can't Akane laugh like that?*  
  
"Ah, well, call it a fluke," he replied.  
  
She smiled and shook her head, "C'mon. I'm heading for the shrine, anyway. Besides... we need to talk."  
  
He blanched. *Uh oh.* "Um, lead the way."  
  
  
  
Elsewhere...  
  
Akane lashed out with a crescent kick, which Makoto deflected and countered with a throw. Akane somersaulted and landed on her feet, her back to Makoto. She spun into a high roundhouse just as Makoto charged her. The brunette ducked and tried to sweep Akane, who jumped over it just in time.  
  
They had been sparring for the past hour.  
  
Akane had gone to Makoto's place for a visit while Rei and Grandfather Hino repaired the damage to the shrine. They seemed... unwilling to accept her help after she had hammered a nail straight through the wall and into a tree a meter away on the other side.  
  
Makoto considered herself one of the best martial artists from Juuban, and she was right. Akane subconsciously knew she was one of the _worst_ martial artists from Nerima, and this too was correct.  
  
Despite this, the two were roughly equal in skill. It was all a matter of the standards used for comparison.  
  
"Time out!" Makoto called. "I think I'd better get started on lunch."  
  
"Right," Akane replied with a friendly smile. "Need any help?"  
  
"Sure, Akane, thanks."  
  
  
  
Back to Ranma and Ami...  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
He mentally stumbled. Of all the questions he was expecting, that was not one of them. "I..." he sighed. "I don't know how I know. I just... _knew_."  
  
"Oh." She was silent for a moment. Then she asked, "Can we trust you not to tell anyone?"  
  
"Of course. Telling anyone would only put you in danger, and I, for one, don't want to do that."  
  
She had the peculiar impression that he wasn't referring to all the Senshi. The two walked on in silence for a while.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Have you had any... strange dreams, lately?"  
  
He was long in answering.  
  
"Yeah, why?"  
  
"What were they about? Were... _we_... in them?"  
  
From the emphasis, it was clear who she meant.  
  
"...yes. We were fighting... something. You were there, all of you, along with some... friends... of mine."  
  
"I see." She paused. "Umm, are you hungry?"  
  
"No," he replied, but his stomach growled, betraying him.  
  
She giggled. "Come on. Let's go get something to eat," she said, grabbing his hand.  
  
He let her lead him onward, "Okay."  
  
  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
The two girls coughed as they made their way blindly out of the kitchen. They both took deep breaths once they cleared the green smoke.  
  
Akane was almost in tears, "I'm sorry, Mako-chan. You were making such a wonderful lunch, and I ruined everything!"  
  
"Aw, c'mon, Akane, it's not that bad. I'm sure everything'll be fine once the smoke clears. Meanwhile, let's just go out to eat. I know just the place. It's got food, games, and good music."  
  
The blue-haired girl smiled faintly, "Okay, let's go!"  
  
  
  
Later...  
  
Makoto managed to cheer up her new friend by the time they arrived at the Crown Arcade. They were about to walk in when Akane suddenly grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her to the side.  
  
"Akane, what is it?"  
  
"It's... Ranma. I saw Ranma in there."  
  
"So?"  
  
"...he's with Ami."  
  
Makoto just _stared_ at her. "Akane, you're overreacting. _I'm_ the boycrazy one, remember? Not meaning to put her down, but Ami's too shy to even _try_ and start anything with a hunk like Ranma." *...even if they _were_ making goggle-eyes at each other back at the shrine...* Makoto silently added.  
  
Akane's face reddened.  
  
"I... I guess you're right."  
  
They entered, and Ranma waved to them, "Akane! Mako-chan! Over here!"  
  
Makoto whispered to Akane, "See? What'd I tell you?"  
  
Akane nodded, and they went over to join the other two. Makoto sat next to Ami, leaving Akane to sit next to her unwanted fiancee.  
  
  
  
Much later...  
  
Ranma and Ami were walking through the deserted streets of Juuban. The four of them had spent the entire day hanging out and enjoying each other's company.  
  
Akane had decided to go and help Makoto clean up her house and especially her kitchen, despite protests from both Ranma and Makoto. The argument ended rather swiftly when Akane blindsided Ranma with her mallet again.  
  
Currently, Ranma was walking Ami home. After all, it was dangerous for a girl to go around alone after dark, right?  
  
Suddenly, the street in front of them erupted, revealing a three meter tall (that's about 10ft for the metric-impaired) demon. It looked very different from a Branaugh. Its smooth skin was the color of dried and mottled blood, and its eyes glowed menacingly. It only had two arms, and a pair of batlike wings sprouted from its back.  
  
They heard a voice echoing loudly in their minds, "Your interference will cost you, human. Pity this little girl has to die as well."  
  
Not turning away from the demonic being in front of him, Ranma said under his breath, "Go. Call the others and transform."  
  
She didn't move.  
  
He turned and yelled, "GO! GET MOVIN'!"  
  
That broke her paralysis, and she ran. Unfortunately, the demon decided to use the opening and struck Ranma with the back of its hand, knocking him back.  
  
He coughed up some blood and thought, *This... is gonna be a looong night...*  
  
  
  
Later...  
  
"FLAME SNIPER!"  
  
The demon laughed off the fire-based attack. Again, it spoke telepathically. "Fool! I am _immune_ to heat and fire. I _am_ a fire daemonite!"  
  
*A... _fire_ daemonite...* thought Sailor Mercury.  
  
"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"  
  
The demon roared at the impact of the freezing blast. The roar echoed throughout the whole district, shaking the very foundations of the buildings closest to the battlefield.  
  
It turned to face her. "You will PAY, puny human!" It raised one arm and launched a ball of flame at Sailor Mercury.  
  
"Ami! Look out!" Ranma launched himself at the blue-haired Senshi, knocking her out of the way of the fire blast. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough to get out of the way himself. "ARGH!"  
  
He staggered and almost collapsed, when the sigil of Earth again flared on his forehead. He stood straighter, apparently ignoring his wounds. He snarled at the demon quietly, "By your actions, you have endangered innocent and defenseless people. This is a crime that _cannot_ be forgiven! WINDSINGER!" He extended one hand to the sky, and a sword appeared in his hand, the sword of Sir Terra. "TERRA DRAGON POWER!"  
  
A tornado descended upon him, obscuring him from view. When the tornado cleared, he stood, garbed in the by-now-familiar armor of Sir Terra, Lord of Air and leader of the Lunar Knights.  
  
"CYCLONE BARRAGE!"  
  
The demon howled under the assault, slammed and ripped apart by the biting winds. Sir Terra collapsed under the strain while the demon dropped to its knees. Despite the onslaught, the demon slowly began struggling back to its feet...  
  
...until a bolt of energy lanced out and skewered it.  
  
Out of the darkness strode a large humanoid figure. They all eyed him warily. It was Syphon Danaali.  
  
He glanced at the dissolving corpse of the fire daemonite and said, "Not bad." He seemed thoughtful for a moment.  
  
"Would you be willing to ally yourselves with my people against the Branaugh? That," he gestured toward the dissolving remains, "was one of the Branaugh's lesser minions known as daemonites, created by mystic rites and infused with some of the lifeforce of its creator."  
  
He extended a hand, "I understand this is your custom?"  
  
Sailor Moon, the default leader, replied, "Umm, well, we'll have to think about it."  
  
He withdrew his hand, "You do not trust me. I can understand, since you have encountered some fugitives from our world."  
  
"'Fugitives'?" asked Sailor Venus.  
  
"Fugitives. A pair of escaped criminals. We have been hunting them for quite a while now."  
  
"But we ran into three of your people before we met you, all of them... quite a bit hostile," remarked Sailor Mars.  
  
Syphon chuckled, "Oh, him? That would be Captain Vekan. He tends to get a little... overzealous at times. He was fighting a Branaugh when you ran into him. He thought you were working for them."  
  
*I don't like this,* thought Mars. *Too many coincidences.*  
  
Sailor Moon frowned. For some reason, she felt she could trust the Lathian cyborg. She finally replied, "All right. We'll work together. For now, anyway."  
  
Syphon nodded, "That is all I ask. Until next time, then."  
  
He vanished back into the shadows.  
  
Sailor Mercury spun and knelt by the fallen Knight. She bit her lip as she ran a medical scan with the Mercury Computer. She breathed a sigh of relief when the scan reported no life-threatening injuries.  
  
"How is he?" asked the lead Senshi.  
  
Sailor Mercury turned to face her. "He's stable. The magic's healing him already, though without Saturn, it'll take days at least."  
  
Two of the Senshi, Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter, remained on guard. Despite the alliance Sailor Moon had agreed to, neither was willing to trust the Lathian just yet. Sailor Venus worried about these new enemies and idly wondered if the other Knights would awaken.  
  
"Oh, man... anybody get the number of that truck?" Sir Terra's voice came from behind them.  
  
Sir Terra glanced down at himself, "Wha-...?"  
  
Then he remembered.  
  
He looked at each of the Senshi present, one at a time. Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus, and, finally, Sailor Mercury.  
  
"I... I remember..."  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Ranma Voiceover:  
  
Now that I've finally awakened to my true identity...  
  
Oh, come on! Don't deny it! You _knew_ I was Sir Terra!  
  
Anyway, now that I've awakened, our friend in the tuxedo will have some questions. Not to mention I'll have to meet all the other Senshi.  
  
Be there for the next episode of The Lunar Knights: "Remembrance."  
  
***********************************************************************  
Author's Postscript:  
  
Wow! For once, Ryouga's infamous sense of misdirection actually keeps him out of a whole episode! Seriously, things are going to start heating up, now that the first Lunar Knight has fully awakened.  
  
This is Cyclone, signing off. 


	6. Episode Six--Remembrance

It was a beautiful night. It was the sort of night that made couples want to cuddle and old people to reminisce. It was the sort of night on which nothing spectacular happened.  
  
However, that belied the events that occurred on this night.  
  
"Oh, man... anybody get the number of that truck?" mumbled Sir Terra.  
  
He glanced down at himself, "Wha-...?"  
  
Then he remembered.  
  
He looked at each of the Senshi present, one at a time. Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus, and, finally, Sailor Mercury.  
  
"I... I remember..."  
  
Then he collapsed.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Based on stuff that's not mine...  
  
Written by Cyclone...  
  
Whirlwind Productions presents...  
  
THE LUNAR KNIGHTS  
  
Episode Six--Remembrance  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Mamoru Chiba suddenly jerked upright. Someone close to him was in trouble! He didn't have much time. He bolted to the window. *He needs me _now_!*  
  
Then he stumbled as his mind processed that last thought, *'He'?*  
  
A vague memory of Sir Terra in the garden of the palace on Earth during the Silver Millenium flashed by. He frowned, shook off the peculiar sensation, and dashed out into the night.  
  
  
Elsewhere...  
  
Ranma, Sir Terra, was confused. A myriad of images flashed across his vision. They were at once vague and distinct.  
  
An image of a woman with silver hair in an elegant gown passed as his heart was filled with respect and devotion.  
  
Another memory, this one of Sailor Mercury laughing and running from him playfully, but it was not the same girl that he knew now. An intense warmth welled up within him.  
  
Each of the other Senshi, with the sole exception of Sailor Moon, flashed by, each with a different emotion attached.  
  
The last image he could remember when he was again coherent was a young man, older than himself and dressed in armor. He was someone Ranma trusted in his past life.  
  
He glanced around and examined his surroundings. He was in a small bedroom, and a glance out the window confirmed his location on the third story of an apartment building. He got off the bed and approached the door with more than a little trepidation.  
  
Just before he took hold of the door knob, the door opened to reveal a mannishly-dressed blonde woman. Ranma stepped back in surprise, unconsciously shifting into a deception stance.  
  
The woman was equally surprised. "You're awake."  
  
"Yeah. So?"  
  
She shook her head in disbelief and turned, "C'mon."  
  
Ranma blinked. "Geeze, Uranus. You don't hafta be so rude."  
  
She spun and stared at him. "How-...?!"  
  
He blinked. "I... I don't know. I... I just... _know_..."  
  
She eyed him warily. To her, he was a threat. He knew far more about them than they knew about him. The fact that he had figured out her identity the first time he had even met her regular self added to her distrust.  
  
They left the room and went to the living room. Waiting for them were the collected Senshi, each with a different expression of surprise on her face. There was also a young man who appeared to be in his early twenties.  
  
Ranma gaped when their eyes met, "Endymion?"  
  
Suddenly, a rush of memories flooded them both.  
  
  
  
Flashback  
  
Prince Endymion was in the palace garden when he heard a very familiar voice call out, "Big brother! Hey!"  
  
He turned. Sir Terra stood there. They weren't really brothers, but Terra's position as leader of the Lunar Knights placed him in the line of succession immediately after the heir apparent, namely Endymion himself.  
  
He frowned as a thought struck him. "Aren't you and the other Knights supposed to leave tomorrow for some sort of secret mission?"  
  
Terra mocked an offended look, "You think I'd go off and cross half the galaxy without even saying goodbye to my favorite brother figure?"  
  
Endymion smiled teasingly, "I'm glad you think so highly of your _only_ brother figure."  
  
The Knight of Earth waved him off, "Details, details."  
  
Then the prince frowned, "And what's this about crossing half the galaxy?"  
  
SIr Terra suddenly grew serious. "Umm... I'm afraid that's classified. Need-to-know, y'know? Only Her Majesty and her advisors know the full details."  
  
"I... see." This worried him. For Terra to suddenly clam up like this, it had to be something very serious, something that would threaten the entire Moon Kingdom, and the idea of something that _could_ threaten the Moon Kingdom was very disquieting.  
  
"Well, gotta go." With that, Sir Terra left.  
  
End Flashback  
  
  
  
The two young men shook their heads clear. Ranma stared at Mamoru in mild confusion. "Endymion?" Ranma repeated.  
  
Mamoru nodded wordlessly, then asked, "But... how? There's no way you could've survived long enough for Queen Serenity to send you to the future. I mean, the mission..."  
  
Ranma sighed. "I wish I knew. You know as much as I do. I hardly remember anything from after we left. I don't even remember what the mission was..."  
  
"That's not important right now," interrupted Luna.  
  
Ranma, who had not noticed either of the moon cats before, predictably freaked. "AHHHH! CAAAAT!" He ran screaming from the two felines. Everyone else there sweatdropped and stared as Ranma cowered in the corner of the room farthest from the two cats.  
  
Ami stepped between Ranma and the apparent source of his fear, gesturing for them to hide themselves. "Ranma, what is it?"  
  
"C-c-c-cat..."  
  
Ami's heart went out to him. Something truly tragic must have happened to cause the Moon Kingdom's bravest warrior to cower from their most trusted advisors. She knelt in front of him. "C'mon, Ranma. It's okay. They won't hurt you."  
  
Ranma collapsed into her arms and sobbed, "Stupid pops... stupid training... coward... can't even... face the advisors..."  
  
"Shh, Ranma, it's okay... it's not your fault..." she held him close and stroked his head comfortingly.  
  
After a few minutes, during which no one dared interrupt the couple, Ranma finally gathered his wits and pulled away. Ami bit her lip as Ranma scrambled to his feet. Her heart yearned for him, but it seemed like he was afraid of her.  
  
He mumbled a vague apology for his actions and made for the door.  
  
No one made a move to stop him.  
  
*Ranma...*  
  
  
  
Later...  
  
Ranma shook his head. He was confused. He felt... something for Ami, that much was clear. _What_ he felt was another matter entirely.  
  
*Do I... No! What am I thinking?! I'm already engaged to Akane! And Ucchan. And Kaori. And... okay, this is getting silly...*  
  
He pondered his situation, not realizing where he was going. He found himself in the commercial district when he heard a voice call out, "Ranma!"  
  
He turned. It was Nabiki. He was in no mood to be blackmailed.  
  
"What do _you_ want?"  
  
The middle Tendo blinked at the harshness of his voice. She decided to play on it and said soothingly, "Something wrong, Ranma-kun?"  
  
"Yeah, but I'd hafta be crazy to tell _you_. You'd find some way to either sell the info or blackmail me with it."  
  
Nabiki leaned away from him. Even as a non-martial artist, she could feel his barely controlled aura. He was upset, and she didn't know why. That did not fit in with her ideal universe. Even so, she wasn't about to risk her health to find out just yet.  
  
"Okay, Ranma. Just calm down and work through whatever it is with a level head, okay?"  
  
Ranma grunted noncommitally.  
  
"Hey, I may not act like it sometimes, but I _do_ care about you, ya big lug." *Just so long as you don't hurt sis,* she added silently.  
  
"Thanks, Nabiki."  
  
  
  
The next day...  
  
Hotaru didn't understand how Ranma healed so quickly. He had changed back into his normal self long before his Sir Terra powers could have healed him, and she had not used her gift yet.  
  
It was impossible for any normal human to recover that quickly. According to Ami, he had had a half-dozen broken ribs and a punctured lung, though his Knight powers had thankfully healed the lung before he had changed back.  
  
It simply refused to make sense to her. She pondered this as she made her way to school. She was so preoccupied with this, she failed to notice the large (for his age) boy until she had bumped into him.  
  
"Hey, watch where you're goin'!"  
  
She stepped back. "Sorry," she said quietly.  
  
He suddenly stopped dusting himself off, "Well, well, well... if it isn't the witch..."  
  
She backed away fearfully.  
  
"Hey!" another voice called out. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size!"  
  
The bully turned to face whoever had said that. It was a teenager carrying a large bamboo umbrella and with a bandanna tied around his head. He grinned, baring a pair of fangs that seemed to gleam eerily in the morning sunlight.  
  
The bully blanched and backed away. "I, ah, um... I think I hear my mom callin'. Count yourself lucky, mister!" With that, he ran off.  
  
Ryouga turned to the tiny little girl. "Are you okay?"  
  
Her reply was barely audible, "Yes. Thank you, mister."  
  
"No problem."  
  
He turned and walked down the street. He headed off in a random direction and frowned when he recognized Makoto's house. He shrugged. *Might as well stop by before I get lost again.*  
  
He knocked on the front door, mildly and pleasantly surprised that he had actually found the front door rather than wind up in her closet or bathroom.  
  
The door opened, and he blinked. "Akane?" he glanced around. "This doesn't look like the dojo or the shrine."  
  
She chuckled. "It isn't either of them, Ryouga-kun. It's Mako-chan's house."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Hey, Akane, who's at the-? RYO-CHAN!"  
  
Glomp.  
  
Ryouga's mind shut down. He wasn't used to this. *Isn't this supposed to happen to Ranma?* he idly wondered as his body lost the capability to breathe.  
  
"Um, Mako-chan. His face is turning blue."  
  
"Huh? Oh! Sorry, Ryo-chan!"  
  
"No... problem."  
  
"Any particular reason you're here, Ryo-chan?"  
  
"No. I was passing your house, so I thought I'd drop by."  
  
"Oh, okay. Umm... wanna come in? Grab a quick bite?"  
  
"Sure, why not?" he shrugged and stepped past the two girls, making a beeline for the kitchen.  
  
  
  
Elsewhere...  
  
Tzo Pu was anxious. With the stirrings of the Dark One, the Council of Elders had unanimously voted on calling in the other tribes and reviving the ancient alliance with the Musk and Phoenix Mountain.  
  
She sealed the envelope and handed it to Tao Kum, their fastest runner. "Remember, this must get to the Elder Kuh Lon in Japan as swiftly as possible, no matter what."  
  
"I understand, Elder." Tao Kum took the envelope and left. She had a long road ahead of her.  
  
Tzo Pu watched the gathering army outside, *If we were at our best, we could win this battle, but with our three best warriors in Japan and Saffron trapped as a child, we don't stand a chance! Why can't the rest of the Council see this?!*  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Makoto Voiceover:  
  
Oh, no! Ryo-chan, what happened?! How many enemies are there, anyway?  
  
Stay out of it?! Hell, no!  
  
(Pause.)  
  
WHAT?! Ryo-chan's a _what_?!  
  
Will Syphon's people keep up their end of the agreement?  
  
Be here for the next episode of The Lunar Knights, "The Vengeance of Xerex"!  
  
***********************************************************************  
Author's Postscript:  
  
Oh, boy. The next episode's gonna be a doozy. I guarantee that! I just hope you people will be patient.  
  
This is Cyclone, signing off. 


	7. Episode Seven--The Vengeance of Xerex

A mountain shuddered. The mountain was in reality a physical manifestation of an ancient prison, long forgotten by all except for a very few communities.  
  
Within this prison, the Shadow Knight strained.  
  
It would not be much longer. *Freedom. It's so close... I can _taste_ it!*  
  
His massive muscles, hidden by his dark armor, bulged and rippled as he struggled against the mystic bonds that had held him for three millenia. *Al-... -most... There!*  
  
The magical chains snapped.  
  
He was free.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Based on stuff that's not mine...  
  
Written by Cyclone...  
  
Whirlwind Productions presents...  
  
THE LUNAR KNIGHTS  
  
Episode Seven--The Vengeance of Xerex  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Akane yawned as she woke up. It had been two days since they had returned to Nerima from their grandfather and cousin's shrine. Other than the demon attack, it had been fairly uneventful.  
  
She dressed and went for her usual morning jog.  
  
  
  
Later...  
  
Ranma and Akane headed for school. It was the first day of school since spring break, and Nabiki had left early to handle some "business ventures." Ranma seemed thoughtful as he walked beside her. She glanced anxiously at him, wondering what would happen between them. He had been acting more distant lately, and it was worrying her.  
  
Kunou was waiting for them, as usual. Ranma strode boldly up to the kendoist. "Hold, foul sorceror! I, Tatewaki Kunou, the White Lightning of Furinkan High, shall smite thee!"  
  
Ranma simply stood with his arms at his sides. "I shall not fight you, honorable warrior."  
  
"Eh?" Kunou blinked and stood back with a wary look on his face.  
  
"Violence solves nothing. Day after day we have fought and what have we accomplished? Nothing but bruises. Tell me, what do you hope to achieve?"  
  
"The freedom of Akane and the pig-tailed girl from your evil clutches!"  
  
"Akane is as free from me as I from her. The engagement was our fathers' idea. If anyone is to blame, it is they."  
  
"And what of the pig-tailed girl? Should I allow you to go unpunished for your enslavement of her? I think not!"  
  
"The pig-tailed girl and I are inseparable, bound together by a an evil curse beyond our ability to break. I would do almost anything to never see her again."  
  
"Truly? Hmm... I cannot trust your words alone, sorceror, but I know one who can either confirm the words you have just spoken or damn you a liar as well as a warlock."  
  
"Very well. So be it. Speak with your source, and we shall meet again on the morn hereafter."  
  
"I shall seek your presence then, Saotome."  
  
Kunou turned and walked into the school. Akane gaped. Ranma strode in after the upperclassman, as though nothing peculiar had happened. Well, for many places, a confrontation ending in words rather than blows _wasn't_ peculiar, but this was downright _weird_ for Nerima.  
  
  
  
Late that night...  
  
Ryouga entered the Tendo grounds. He wandered in and was greeted by Kasumi. "Oh, my. Ryouga-kun, are you looking for Ranma? I'm afraid he's asleep right now, though."  
  
"Oh. Ah, I guess I'll catch him later." Ryouga turned to leave.  
  
"Ryouga-kun?"  
  
He turned, "Yes?"  
  
"You don't have a place to stay, do you? Would you like to stay here tonight? I'm afraid we don't have another room, but..."  
  
Ryouga shook his head. "You're too kind, Kasumi-san. The couch is more comfortable than what I'm used to, anyway."  
  
  
  
A few hours later at the Nekohanten...  
  
"Elder Kuh Lon! Elder Kuh Lon!"  
  
The Amazon matriarch turned and was surprised to see Tao Kum. The young Amazon scout was supposed to be back at the village. "What is it, child?"  
  
Tao Kum gasped, catching her breath, and handed her a crumpled envelope. "Urgent news from Elder Tzo Pu. The Dark One is rising!"  
  
Kuh Lon's eyes widened, and she quickly snatch and tore open the envelope. She read the missive swiftly.  
  
"Mu Tzu! Xian Pu! We must prepare for battle." She turned to Tao Kum, who had collapsed in exhaustion immediately after handing her the message, and said, "You have done your part. Rest now, child, and know that three thousand years of Amazon tradition will soon rest on your shoulders."  
  
  
  
In the Tendo living room...  
  
Ryouga bolted to his feet and snatched his umbrella, dropping into a low fighting stance. *What? There's something here... but where is it?*  
  
He glanced around warily. Suddenly, something struck him from behind. He flew through the Tendo wall and slammed into the street several yards away. He pulled himself to his feet and saw a figure in black armor, like that of a medieval knight, striding out of the hole he had just crashed through.  
  
"At last, Foundling, thou shalt _face_ _my_ _wrath_!"  
  
Ryouga backed away. What could he possibly have done to upset this guy??? He held his umbrella up defensively and backed his way down the street. The armored figure followed him with even, measured steps.  
  
  
  
In the Tendo front yard...  
  
Ranma watched the figure stalk Ryouga. *Should I transform?*  
  
He sensed motion behind him and turned. His father and the Tendos had come out and were now asking tired questions. He waved for them to go back in and said, "Something's attacking Ryouga. All of you, get back in. You too, Akane. Pops, Mr. Tendo, keep an eye on 'em, 'specially Akane."  
  
"Right."  
  
"Waahaahaha! My future son-in-law really _does_ worry about my daughter!"  
  
The pigtailed martial artist rolled his eyes, "Of COURSE I worry about her. She's a good friend. I just don't want her doing anything stupid."  
  
He turned and ran down the street.  
  
*A friend, Ranma? Is that all I am to you?*  
  
  
  
Down the street...  
  
The armored figure slashed at Ryouga with a sword that had a blade that appeared to be made completely out of darkness.  
  
The fanged boy barely parried the sword, channeling his ki into it. He backed away as his opponent laughed, "Very good, Foundling. It seems thou shalt grant me a true challenge. This will make my victory all the sweeter." He stopped laughing and pointed his dark blade at Ryouga, "Know this. For your ancestor's wrongs against me, I, Xerex the Shadow Knight, shall destroy you!"  
  
Suddenly, Xerex's head snapped forward. Ranma used the back of the Shadow Knight's head as a platform and leaped into a ready stance next to Ryouga.  
  
"Hey, Ryouga. What'd you do to this guy?"  
  
"Nothing! He said something about my ancestor..."  
  
"Sins of the father, huh? I'm familiar with that."  
  
Xerex glared at them. "Puny mortal. Thou darest interfere with mine vengeance? This is personal matter! Stay out, and thou wilt not be harmed."  
  
"Go, Ranma. I don't butt into your fights, so don't butt into mine."  
  
Ranma was reluctant, but he backed away and replied, "Okay. Your call, Ryouga."  
  
Xerex launched himself at Ryouga, slashing at him again and again. Ryouga parried and dodged like his life depended on it, which it did. However, the battle was fated to be interrupted again.  
  
"SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!"  
  
The lightning bolt struck Xerex, who spun and glared at the newcomers, "Who dares?"  
  
"We do! A person should not be blamed for the actions of his ancestor! In the name of the planets, we'll punish you!"  
  
Ranma turned, "Stay outta this! This is Ryouga's fight!"  
  
Sailor Jupiter stared at him, "No way!"  
  
"I agree!" called out another voice. Syphon Danaali stepped out of the shadows, pointing his rifle at Xerex. Xerex glanced mildly at the Senshi and said, "So, the Senshi and the mortal want to play. Very well, but later. I must deal with the Foundling first. SHADOW BARRIER!"  
  
A sphere of dark energy came up and encircled Xerex and Ryouga. "Now we fight."  
  
As they fought, Syphon fired his rifle, but the beam was absorbed into the mystical forcefield. "Thou _still_ darest interfere?! Fine, then! If it pleaseth thee, thou shalt DIE! SHADOW BOLT!"  
  
A blast of dark energy flew out of his hand and through the shadow barrier, slamming into Syphon and sending him flying backwards, into a comndemned building which collapsed on top of him.  
  
Ryouga dashed under a massive slash and extended a single finger, poking the Shadow Knight's breastplate. "BAKUSAI TENKETSU!"  
  
Xerex stepped back, "So, thou hast trained with the Amazons. No surprise there, but it will take much more than such a mundane technique to destroy the Armor of Darkness!" He lunged forward and began a blurring series of slashes.  
  
Ryouga backed away, dodging and parrying what he could, but many blows struck, cutting deep into him. The fanged boy staggered back against the shadowy wall, dropping his mangled umbrella. He cupped his hands before him and yelled out, "SHISHI HOUKOU DAN!"  
  
The ki blast slammed into Xerex, doing little more than knocking him back a step. "Foolish mortal! Didst thou think such a simple technique would stop _me_?! Thou art but a shadow of thine ancestor. Surrender now, and thy death wilt be swift and painless."  
  
Ryouga had by then dropped to one knee. He slowly rose as he muttered, "I... won't... be beaten. Not like this... I won't... give up... I'll... NEVER... give up! NEVER!!!" He suddenly surged to his feet, his wounds apparently vanishing. The sigil of Saturn, surrounded by a ring with a lump in one spot, glowed a bright yellow on his forehead.  
  
"No!" Xerex cried out. "'Tisn't possible! I killed thee! I KILLED THEE!!! Thou couldst not have revived with the others... it cannot be!"  
  
"ORECRUSHER!" A massive sledgehammer with a meter-long shaft appeared in his hands. "TITAN CYCLOPS POWER!"  
  
The street around Ryouga erupted, forming a column of stone around him. The wall around him then shattered, revealing Sir Titan, the Lord of Earth. He raised Orecrusher and swung it down to strike the ground, "SHOCKWAVE!"  
  
The concrete rippled toward Xerex and slammed into him, knocking the Shadow Knight off his feet. "Thou shalt perish, traitor. Think not that ye shalt escape thy just punishment."  
  
"SHADOW STORM!" A flurry of miniature Shadow Bolts flew from Xerex's outstretched hand.  
  
"CRATER SHIELD!" Sir Titan slammed the street with his hammer again, and a crater formed, the rim of which rose and blocked the attack.  
  
Xerex charged and swung his sword, Darkblade, at Sir Titan, who parried it with the shaft of Orecrusher.  
  
Sir Titan struck.  
  
Cracks spiderwebbed out from the point of impact on Xerex's breastplate. Shafts of white light erupted from the cracks, blinding the onlookers. The light died, and Xerex stood confidently. His armor bore no damage.  
  
"CHOU BAKUSAI TENKETSU!"  
  
The shadow barrier shattered. Xerex spun to find Kuh Lon, Mu Tzu, and Xian Pu, all dressed in unusual battle garb. "Amazons. I am surprised that there are any of thy kind left. Wise thou art to weareth thy death garb, but I shall deal with thee and the Foundling later. SHADOW STORM!"  
  
He threw out his left hand, and a flurry of dark bolts flew toward the Amazons. They dodged the attacks with considerable difficulty. When they all looked back to the battlefield, Xerex was gone, and Ryouga lay unconscious on the ground.  
  
Kuh Lon hopped over to him and bent over to examine him. "He is exhausted and severely wounded, but he will recover... assuming we can protect him from the Dark One long enough for him to heal."  
  
Sailor Jupiter sighed with relief, as did all the Senshi.  
  
"We'd better go," said Sailor Moon. "We need to talk to Saturn."  
  
Reluctant as they were, the Senshi left.  
  
"'Dark One'? I assume that's Xerex?"  
  
Kuh Lon's eyes narrowed at Ranma, "How do you know that name, son-in-law?"  
  
"That's what he called himself when he came after Ryouga. He said something about Ryouga's ancestors doing something to him. Obviously, you know something."  
  
Kuh Lon's jaw dropped, "Ryouga's ancestor? You mean this lost pig is the descendent of the great Ishiharou?!"  
  
Ranma raised an eyebrow, "I don't even know who that is." *Thank Kami she hasn't said anything about the Knights or the Senshi.* "So, would ya mind fillin' me in?"  
  
"Let us take him somewhere safe, first. The Neko-..."  
  
Ranma cut her off, "Somewhere safe _and_ neutral. We don't want to start another fight. We'll head back to the dojo."  
  
"Very well, son-in-law."  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Xian Pu Voiceover:  
  
Ai-yah! Stupid pig-boy ancestor est-... estab-... start Amazon tribe?! Shampoo going to be sick.  
  
While pig-boy recover, Great Grandmother tell Shampoo, Airen, and stupid Mousse ancient Amazon legend of great warrior who trap Dark One.  
  
See how great Amazon village of Joketsuzoku start in next episode of The Lunar Knights, "Fall of the Dark One."  
  
***********************************************************************  
Author's Postscript:  
  
Wow. Seven parts finished. I can't believe I got this far. One thing to note is the name "Ishiharou." It seems I was mistaken earlier. The word for "rock" is "ishi," and "harou" means "wild boar's first son." _Now_ it fits for Ryouga's ancestor.  
  
This is Cyclone, signing off. 


End file.
